PICCOLO AWARD WINNERS PAY HOMAGE TO A LEGEND

It has been 30 years since the death of Brian Piccolo and the inception of the award given in his honor, surpassing the life spans of most Bears players.

But wide receiver Marcus Robinson said he felt an instant kinship with Piccolo when told he had been selected as the veteran recipient of the award named for the late Bear.

"He worked hard at Wake Forest, then when he came to the Bears he had to wait his turn and when his turn came, he took advantage," said Robinson, the eighth Bear to win the award.

Said rookie winner Jerry Azumah: "I'm honored. I'm going to go and rent the movie [Brian's Song] and try to understand what he was all about."

Close ties: Two Bears are rooting for some late-round draft choices. Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton has been talking up Tim Rattay, his quarterback at Louisiana Tech. Quarterback Cade McNown will watch where former UCLA receiver and friend Danny Farmer is drafted. Farmer is the son of George Farmer, a Bear receiver in the `70s.

Injured again: Cincinnati running back Ki-Jana Carter, who has missed almost half of his NFL career with injuries, suffered a partly dislocated kneecap in a workout in Ft. Lauderdale. Bengals trainer Paul Sparling said Carter is considering arthroscopic surgery that could have him ready to play in three to four months.

Lewis witness: A security guard has told police he witnessed a post-Super Bowl fight in which two men were fatally stabbed, but he did not see Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis participate, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.